Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera felt they should have capitalized on their chances after his side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

The Marina Machans took everyone by surprise when Ankit Mukherjee headed home to put the hosts ahead from a Rafael Crivellaro cross. Odisha FC went all out for the equalizer, but the Chennaiyin FC defence and the keeper remained intact for Sergio Lobera's side.

In the second half, Chennaiyin FC intensified their efforts to stifle Odisha FC, narrowing the gaps on the field. However, in the 78th minute, Roy Krishna managed to level the score. The late stages of the match witnessed a thrilling turn of events, with Jordan Murray netting the winning goal in the 94th minute.

Disappointing result in Chennai.#OdishaFC #AmaTeamAmaGame #KalingaWarriors | #ISL #ISL10 #LetsFootball #CFCOFC pic.twitter.com/ZkuG3FIW2g

— Odisha FC (@OdishaFC) March 3, 2024

Although the Kalinga Warriors remained on top, this defeat has surely dealt a big blow to their League Shield run, with Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan SG having played one and two games fewer than them, respectively.

“Today was a very tough game for us,” Lobera stated in the post-match press conference.

“I think we created chances; we had our opportunities, but we didn't score. When you have chances and you're not scoring goals, maybe this kind of situation can happen,” he added further.

Lobera substituted off his star midfielder Ahmed Jahouh at halftime and brought in Cy Goddard, but he couldn't make an impact in the second half.

When quizzed about the reason for the substitution of the Moroccan, the head coach replied, "He was very tired. I spoke to him during halftime; he was tired from the beginning of the game."

Chennaiyin FC had a fine game tonight, and they did well to maintain their defensive line quite intact throughout the match.

The Spaniard commended the opposition for their hard work and emphasized the need for his team to rectify mistakes, aiming for an improved display in the remaining four matches.

“Today, it was more about the performance of the opposition than ours. They are a strong team and they played very well today,” he said.

“We feel they were better than us in some situations. We need to improve and learn from the mistakes and we need to keep going because we are in a good situation and we need to keep going in the remaining four matches,” Lobera commented.